Greens are open to all

There were plenty of smiles to be seen at the Benalla Bowls Club on Thursday for the annual All Abilities Lawn Bowls Day.

Now in its fourth year, the ‘Get on the Green, Get Fit’ event saw visitors from Dookie, Mansfield, Alexandra and Shepparton take to the green alongside Benalla locals.

A field of about 50 bowlers converged on the greens with their carers, enjoying hours of fun before digging into a barbecue lunch.

Targets were set up around the ground, with the aim to knock the skittles over.

Benalla Bowls Club secretary and organiser of the day, Graham Moore, said he had seen the event grow over time and hoped it would continue to run annually.

‘‘The idea is for joy, fun and laughter — you can hear them all enjoying themselves,’’ Moore said.

While Benalla Bowls Club members all played a part in making the day a success, Valley Sport also helped run the event.

Valley Sport project officer Jarryd Cutler said the event was one of five in a series of similar events run across the region.

‘‘It’s something that we always look forward to and the club does a great job of hosting,’’ Cutler said.

‘‘It’s great to see them involved and active and proving that just because someone has a disability, there’s zero reason why they can’t get involved in these opportunities.

‘‘One of the highlights of what I do is getting out of the office and coming to see these guys in action.’’

Cutler thanked the Benalla Bowls Club members for their tireless work in putting the day together, and said there were plenty of opportunities for clubs and associations to get involved in events like the All Abilities Bowls Day.